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Black Ink
_Decernber^J97l
Editorial Ink
Get Serious
with your minds
•Black people, get serious with your
rr.inds. The time has come for Black
people to realize the true meaning of
Blackness. Many of you claiming a Black
identity had better examine yourselves
and make sure you are not “half-white
college students.”
Black people, get serious with your
minds. Blackness is more than an Afro, a
cool walk, and a $2.50 liberation tam
from Sonny’s. Blackness is more than just
eating once a week at the Hollywood and
buying a Black panther paper. Blackness
is more than Union Bid Whisk and being
the first to buy Isaac Hayes’ “Black
Moses” album.
Black people, get serious with your
minds. If you think bumping into a white
person and not saying excuse me is
Blackness, you’re fooling yourself. If you
consider being cool and breaking line at
registration is Blackness, you’re fooling
yourself. If you think only knowing half
the soulshake is Blackness, you’re fooling
yourself. You fool.
Black people, get serious with your
minds. The above are but symbols (very
necessary symbols, however) of a Black
movement. They are instrumental in
maintaining the morale and spirit of our
revolution. But Brothers and Sisters
Blackness is an inner thing. Blackness is
intangible and a state of mind. Of course
we are linked together by our physical
Blackness, but now we have got to strive
for unity of the mind. When our invisible
Black thoughts act on society to make
changes, visible changes will manifest
themselves.
Black people, get serious with your
minds. Dedicate yourself to the
betterment of the lives of Black people.
Remember that all white people aren’t
bad and all Black people aren’t good.
Black people need you. You need Black
people. But most of all we need each
other.
Black people, get serious with your
minds.
A black cop?
One of the biggest fallacies of
American law enforcement agenies today
is the lack of racial balance. A touchy
topic and a rarity is a black policeman.
Not a colored cop or a Negro fuzz but an
honest-to-goodness black policeman.
Sure, they’re a few dark-skinned
policemen with “fros” running around
but as a whole, their presence calls no
respect from the black community. Any
black who attempts to enlist in any
division in North Carolina’s law
enforcement agency is bound to become
a person of the white society that pins a
badge on his shirt — an instrument
empowered to be used by whites to
exercise control over blacks on their own
level. A black cop is merely an agent of
infiltration - or a token to maybe help
subdue the next black protest.
But to a black man, the sight of
another black man in a policeman’s
uniform gives him no sense of pride or
fear - only apathy: a little grin at the
man who sold out to a society to which
no black man can assimilate himself or
ever be a part of. If the white
establishment thinks that the presence of
black law officials is going to help quell
the next riot or protest, it is sadly
mistaken. If anything, their presence will
only add to the tension and unrest.
Blacks see a white face in a uniform as
their enemy; they see a black face in a
uniform as a traitor.
However, racially law enforcement is
necessary to prevent incidents as the one
in Ayden. But acceptance by blacks of
blacks in this type of role is a different
matter. The possibility of this acceptance
has been soured by experiences with
blacks who abused the police power
granted them or merely became the paid
pawns of a white establishment.
A black policeman — one aware of his
job and his identity - is the bridge
needed between society and its black
outcasts. A Line Hays or a John Shaft is
not probable or practical. The black
community does not need another
fictional character — it needs a real black
man.
NIKKI GIOVANNI
Her characteristics as seen from the
album “Truth Is On Its Way”
Nikki Giovanni expresses her
contempt for,a white racist society that
labels her closely knit, loving home as an
under-privileged, ghetto hole. She was
happy eating her greens, and she and her
sister had fun whether or not they had a
lot of unnecessary luxuries. She
condemns the public for demanding so
*
His chest was like velvet; as smooth
and as warm as an African breeze. It was
as black as his native land’s night. His
muscles rippled under his chest as the
undercurrents of the Mediterranean ripple
upon Moroccan beaches. There was a
sparse fuzz around his naval that tapered
off around his erect manhood. A
manhood as stiff, strong and dark as
ebony wood. My fingers ran across and
down his back. They ran as delicately as a
gazelle flees through the Congo forest.
Cleophus Crowder
What’s going on?
When was the last time you attended a
BSM Central Committee meeting or a
BSM meeting for that matter? Do you
know what’s going on?
The Central Committee is the.
backbone of our BSM. On Monday,
November 1, I experienced my first
Central Committee meeting. That
meeting inpressed upon me our
divisiveness on this campus, and
illustrated to me our need to strengthen
our unity.
One issue which arose in this particular
meeting involved the question of
representation by WCAR at Central
Committee meetings. As you are
probably aware, WCAR is the campus
radio station. Six brothers are involved
with a program entitled “Black Sounds.”
This issue questioned our right to report
to you on our program the function of
Central Committee.
From this meeting, it appeared to me
that the Central Committee was saying
that we whould not report to you on
what goes on at the meetings. An
interesting paradox arises: as BSM
members, we are extended the privilege
of sitting in at Central Committee
meetings as “interested parties.” Why
may I remain an “interested party;” yet
when 1 become the newsman seeking to
report to you the functions of a
committee discussing issues relevant to
you brothers and sisters on this campus,
can’t 1 relate the story to you?
One might counter that our first
obligation is to the organization. Within a
reasonable limit, this is true. I see how we
could endanger ourselves as brothers in
reporting certain issues vital to black
interests on this campus. Some things
white folks don’t need to know about.
But, tjiere are newsworthy items
emanating from Central Committee
which are useful in attempts to promote
unity. This is indeed what we have,
attempted — to strengthen our delicate
threads of unity through dissemination of
materials relevant to sisters and brothers
on this campus. We are still
conscientiously a part of our
organization.
As broadcast journalists, we have the
duty of informing you. It should be
understood that a lack of communication
is one of our chief handicaps. It breeches
Thanks to The Daily Tar Heel for
their assistance in making this issue
of BLACK INK possible.
Allen Mask, Editor
BLACK INK
our agreement and hampers our
development of a strong unity.
Central Committee meetings currently
remain open. However, if 1 am denied the
right of informing you, then I feel there is
a detriment to us all, for more Black
students need to become aware - aware
of the total scene.
We offer our medium as a forum for
the promotion of this awareness. We want
you to “get involved, get into it.” If in
the event you are unable to discover
what’s happening, can you see the benefit
of our reporting what’s going on? ■
Black and Free
by Ronald Richardson
Many long years ago, our Forefathers
were bounded in chains of slavery.
But today can we really say we black
people are free?
Oh yes, we can go by what he really
said.
Freedom isn’t a thing that must be
installed on a chart.
Freedom is a thing that must be
installed in one’s heart.
If we are free, then tell me why do we
riot in the streets so violently.
No white man can know how it feels
to be black and free.
Only the black man can tell truthfully
and positively.
We have been understated, raided, and
not to mention discriminated against.
We have been walked upon, stalked
upon, talked upon, and above all hated,
and so we march with our marching signs
and picket lines and we’ll keep on
marching until freedom and peace of
mind we find.
And our so-called Mr. President tries
to help by giving out welfare but deep
down inside he really doesn’t care.
It’s just some big frame up to win him
some big re-election and he gets our vote
by giving us aid and pretended affection.
But yet we still house in the ghettoes
and live in the slums and so we grow up
to be raiders, demonstrators, addicts and
bums.
But we’ll keep on striving to reach our
long and never forgotten goal.
And one day the world will be ours to
hold and control.
I wish I could really be . . . “Black and
Free”
much of Aretha. “How,” she asks, “can
you say you love her when you won’t
even let her rest?” She praises the brown'
baby that is truth, who sprang from her
groin. She ego trips on her ethereal-self.
She exalts the regal composure of a
retired prostitute. Nikki is definitely bad
on this album. It “cannot be
comprehended except by her
permission.”
*
His rhythm was as constant as the heat
yet soothing as coconut milk. It mounted
like the heat of the Sahara mounts. His
heart beat with the determination of
Watusi warrior drums. Our fevers rose and
rose and rose higher and brighter than
any tijbal, sacrificial fire. It burst just like
the sun does at high noon. It was full of
warmth, love and relief. The fevers cooled
and we lay side by side. We melted into
each other’s love and then into our fertile
Nile soil.
BLACK INK
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Allen Mask,
Editor in Chief
James Moore,
Associate Editor
Mary Lacewell
Associate Editor
Mitzi Bond
Associate Editor
Doris Stith
Managing Editor
Deborah Austin
News Editor
Valerie McPherson
Feature Editor
Mae Helen Isreal
Layout Editor
James Monroe
Community Editor
Warren Carson
Sports Editor
Sterling Swann
Business Manager
BLACK INK, Published monthly by the UNC BLACK STUDENT
:g: MOVEMENT. All unsigned editorials represent the opinions of the
editor. All columns represent only the opinions of the individual
:$ contributors.
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